Pre-Harvard game preview and a starting lineup change

The big pre-game news here at Gampel Pavilion is junior Enosch Wolf will be making his first career start tonight for UConn.

Wolf replaces junior Tyler Olander at center. Olander started the first eight games.

The move makes sense.

Wolf is coming off his best game in a loss to No. 25 North Carolina State on Tuesday, as he had a career-high tying 12 points and a career-best nine rebounds.

Olander is in a funk, contributing just eight points and seven rebounds in the last two games. He’s yet to score in double figures or grab double digit rebounds this season. Basically, he’s been a mild disappointment.

Some other pre-Harvard game appetizers:

Probable starters:

UConn

6-1 jr. guard Shabazz Napier (18.6 pts)

6-0 so. guard Ryan Boatright (14.3 pts, 4.8 assists)

6-5 fr. guard Omar Calhoun (10.1, 4.1 rebs)

6-8 so. forward DeAndre Daniels (8.1 pts, 4.5 rebs)

7-1 jr. center Enosch Wolf (4.3 pts, 3.1 rebs)

Harvard

6-0 fr. guard Siyani Chambers (12.7 pts, 5.3 assists)

6-5 jr. guard Laurent Rivard (11.4 pts)

6-5 so. guard Wesley Saunders (16.1 pts, 5.0 rebs)

6-7 so. forward Steve Moundou-Missi (4.2 pts, 4.7 rebs)

6-6 so. forward Jonah Travis (9.9 pts, 5.4)

Noteworthy

-- UConn coach Kevin Ollie on Harvard:

“They’re playing free. Tommy Amaker does a great job. You know what you’re going to expect from them. … They’re not going to change.

“That’s one thing I respect about his team, they play the right way. They’ve got their motion offense. They stay within themselves and they’ve got players that know their roles and they stay within those roles. That shows me a great coached team.

-- It is the last game before 10-day exam break for Huskies.

-- Amaker is 0-3 vs. UConn, which leads series 15-2 overall including 67-53 win last season. Last loss for Huskies came in 1972-73 season.

-- Ollie is concerned about UConn’s assist to turnover ratio. The Huskies have 91 assists and 90 turnovers.

“That’s not going to get it done in the Big East, and we all know that,” Ollie said. “And shooting 42 percent is not going to get it done in the Big East. We’ve got to raise that up. We’ve got to get better shots. We’ve got to rebound better.”

-- Up next: UConn hosts Maryland-EasternShore on Dec. 17.

_ Check back later for a post-game breakdown. Follow me during the game on Twitter @GavinKeefe